Collision Zone
by Lord Sunder
Summary: It came from a far off world, entering the dreams of Twilight Sparkle as the clock struck four-past-midnight. It was unstable in the materium, and she too trusting. A pact was forged, alien consciousness to unicorn mare, changing both irrevocably. The next morning, she began to regret her decision. Unashamedly Twilestia, no OC romance so far. Pacts, deities and drama aplenty.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Ordinator

In a star system far from the cradle of humanity, a world burned. The reprisal had been swift and merciless, nuclear fire raining down from the skies. The defiant natives never stood a chance. It didn't matter. The world could be mined later, after the ash settled.

Yet, in the darkness, a slumbering machine of a bygone age stirred. It uncurled, flexing disused tentacles, a pale eye opening to scan its surroundings. The humans in orbit were of no matter to it.

_Insects, to scuttle beneath our tentacles._

But something was wrong. Something was _missing. _The planet felt cold. The great World Tree that sustained its presence here... Instead, it found only glass, and drifting seas of ashes. Its seat of power on this world was broken with the death of the tree. What magic this planet once had, had long since been consumed. There was no other choice, it observed. _I must return to the source, for my survival is no longer guaranteed here. The power within me is sufficient. It shall be so. _Casting alien eyes over the darkened skies, it latched onto the conduit; the great road within the skies, and was gone in an instant.

High above Earth, the conduit opened, disgorging its occupant. Invisible to the human satellite net, the ordinator sent out a general alert to the planet, reporting the destruction of its demesne. Long moments passed, and only the echoes of its cry returned. The source was silent. Something had gone very wrong indeed. Wasting no time, it used its remaining power to transfer itself directly into the core of the planet, hoping to reach the wellspring of magic before its internal power supply was depleted. Even if it was destroyed in the attempt, there would be more ordinators. Its master's glorious work would reach fruition, even if it did not survive to see it. It needn't have worried. Deep in the crushing darkness of the core, the pale tentacles of the ordinator latched onto a control node, its mind making contact with the source. What it saw there, shocked it to the core.

The wellspring, the eternal light from which hundreds of its kind had spawned to do its master's bidding, the seat of its master's power... all that remained was a guttering candle. The sheer magnitude of the loss staggered it for a moment. Its master. He was gone. Where? There were no traces of Him in this place. In desperation, the ordinator sent a multitude of probes out through the conduit network, searching for others of its kind. All returned negative. Dying echoes of worlds to fall, nothing more.

Hundreds of its kind. A vast empire in the stars, the divine plan, known only to its master... gone. In an instant, it felt its world shatter irreparably. Its master was gone. It was alone. All that it had strived for, the perfection, lost. A mortal, in a mortal galaxy. It let out a grating, metallic scream, tentacles wildly thrashing, grasping at the control panel before it.

_Who has done this?!_

Furiously searching the logs from the control node, it happened upon one seemingly inconsequential occurrence; a trading of minor blueprints between a third rank ordinator and a Yith matriarch. The Yith had no love for the servants of Primus, He who is One, but its master had once more attempted to make peace with the race of dimension shifters. It would logically entail that, in the absence of outside communication, that this event would be its master's death warrant. It brought up the blueprints, and reeled in shock.

The blueprints had contained a very subtle trap for its master, flagged and notified in the records but evidently the warnings had done little. Too little, too late. The construction had turned its master's power against Himself, slowly ensuring He devoured Himself in his search for sustenance. Its master had many enemies which would seek to gain from his absence, after all...

Concluding that this was irrelevant if it could not find magic to sustain itself, the ordinator took what was left of the source and fled into the conduit network. Its options at this point were limited. Dealing with the Yith, masters of spatial manipulation, would likely lead to its destruction, and the last hopes of its master's plan with it. They would want more than it could give.

It could seek out a new wellspring of magic, and hope it managed to find an incomparably rare metaphysical structure before its power was depleted by the journey... out of the question, the probabilities of success were too slim to contemplate. Lastly, it could seek out a civilisation capable of using magic and sustain itself through a mortal pact.

A pact would change both occupants irrevocably, but it seemed its alternatives were unworkable. It pained it to enter the mind of a mortal, to mar its essence with the union, but its desperation outweighed its distaste for mortal life. It began cataloguing known civilisations, but one in particular stood out above all others... _087-IL56, high proportion of natural magic users, rich magical atmosphere... native philosophy ensures a trusting participant. Excellent._ It was the logical choice. The conduit opened before it, a yawning grey portal to the Outside, and it vanished.

On a distant and unlikely world, far from Earth, a small purple mare slumbered fitfully at her desk, a half finished essay on timber wolf biology serving as an impromptu pillow. She certainly never noticed the air swirl in the centre of the library, an ethereal tentacle stretching forth...

Twilight Sparkle dreamed of deadlines. The essay she was writing was vital to Equestrian understanding of the Everfree, why could nopony see that? If it wasn't Pinkie trying to drag her off to sample cupcakes, it was Dash crashing through her roof for the third time this month. She knew they meant well, but she really, really needed to get this essay to the academy for peer review, and she only had one day left! _Ohdear ohdear ohdear... _furiously scribbling, her eyebrows knit in concentration, she never even considered she might not be alone.

"I greet you, Twilight Sparkle," came a leaden voice, hollow and almost monotone.

Twilight jumped in her seat, her eyes widening as she turned to face the intruder. A thick white mist filled one side of the library, glittering like ice crystals. It swirled in an intangible breeze, small tendrils swirling aimlessly.

"I... huh? What?! Ah!" She squeaked intelligently, pressing herself back against the desk.

"Be at ease, I mean you no harm. We have much to discuss, if it please you."

Twilight paused, her mind whirring into action. Could she get a note to the princess without this thing noticing? _Doubtful. With Spike downstairs, there's no way I could get a letter to him without it noticing._

"Fine. Talk. Who are you?" Twilight's voice was sharp and confident, but her eyes betrayed nervousness.

"I... go by Terminus, Twilight Sparkle. I would not seek to bother you at this time, but I have no other recourse. I am in need of your aid, it would seem." The mist roiled, pseudopodia forming and dispersing chaotically, causing Twilight to jerk away from it. "My apologies, entering your dreams was not an easy task, and it has worn on me. This form ill suits me," the hollow voice echoed out from the centre of the mist, though this time it sagged with weariness.

"Wait, this is a dream? That explains everything! The deadline, the friends trying to stop me from writing, the strange mist creature talking to me... oh, this is perfect!" Twilight bounced on hooftips in obvious relief.

"I am afraid not. I am real enough. Please, you must believe me, for my time in this place grows short. I am the last of my kind, and without your help I too will fade." the voice was softer this time, desperation edging every word, although the hollow quality remained. Twilight frowned. That was unusual for a lucid dream. Hers were usually much less coherent than this, with her flying around playing superhero, or visiting the princesses, or exploring the stars and such.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked calmly. This was just a dream. What harm could it do to indulge the strange fog creature her subconscious can conjured?

"A pact, lady Sparkle. To forge a bond between worlds, you must anchor me upon your magic. In return, my magic, my knowledge, will be yours. In the name of Primus, He who is One, and upon my own life I swear this." A small flash, a smell like ozone at those words. A small, inconsequential detail, Twilight noted. Why was this happening? Her dreams were never this detailed.

"And what will this pact require, Terminus? My soul? Blood sacrifices like they practise in Scandaneighvia?" She smiled wryly at it, as it squirmed almost guiltily at the question.

"No but... it does not come without a cost. Neither of us would emerge unchanged," it raised a pseudopod to forestall questioning, "not negative, different. I would not suggest this unless I had no other choice. Mercy, lady Sparkle, if it please thee." this time the voice was hoarse, cracking in places. The mist contracted into a ball after this, shuddering faintly. She bit her lip. _Why me? Oh dear, oh dear... is it telling the truth? Can I trust it? But if it is the last of its kind... I can't just let it die, can I? _She stomped a hoof on the 'library' floor, a familiar determination filling her heart.

"Fine. What do I have to do?"

"Touch me with your magic. I will do the rest. You have my eternal gratitude..." the voice whispered, fading off towards the end. Twilight concentrated, a thin tendril of magic leaping out towards the orb, a tentacle of glittering mist stretching out to meet it...

When Twilight came to, she bolted upright, only to fall back immediately as the floor undulated under her. The floor seemed to be made out of silken mane, black as the void, sweeping her along a winding path through a featureless grey expanse. The hair ran like a stream, flowing over unseen hills, carrying Twilight with it. Ahead, a perfect orb of white, wreathed in ivy and tree roots, reached out with hundreds of tendrils before it too was swept along in the black tide.

To the sides of the path, her friends laughed and played in the grey nothingness, ignoring the stream as it wend its way between them, never noticing their silent observer as she passed them by. For a moment, Twilight felt a pang of melancholy she could not quite explain, the stream continuing into the horizon. For a moment, one side showed Pinkie Pie grinning for a wedding picture with a dark grey stallion, and Twilight's heart soared with happiness at the sight. The other... showed the pink mare, chained to a guillotine of ice before a small crowd. She passed the image as the blade began to fall. A regal alicorn wearing a smiling porcelain mask mechanically raised the sun before slumping back into its throne, making a feeble beckoning gesture to Twilight as she swept past. A smaller blue form lurked behind her, silent and still, her head weighed down by a leaden millstone.

The Everfree loomed in the distance, a shadow creeping between the trees as the skies darkened... a rushing sensation, turning back to see multiple dark shapes zero in on her... a faint light, illuminating the path ahead, showing her the entrance to a vast ruined city. A winged unicorn was carved in stone above the gates.

For the second time, Twilight Sparkle awoke, this time to a tickling sensation on her muzzle. She snorted softly, wrinkling her nose, before lazily batting a hoof at the offending object. She felt something silky soft, almost like hair, wrap itself gently around her ankle. _That's not right._

Wincing against the light from the open curtains, Twilight blearily rubbed her eyes, clambering off the chair she had slept in.

Swish.

_There it is again..._ She looked down, for the first time seeing a mane black as night writhing in an immaterial wind, forming coils like a creeping plant, one of which had latched onto her forehoof. She did the only reasonable thing, letting out a panicked scream, scrambling away from the desk. The mane followed her, almost like a living thing, as if it were... _attached_. She gingerly raised a shaking hoof to her horn, feeling only the same soft coiling sensation as the mane '_my mane!'_ eagerly wound itself around the offending article. _'_different_'_ the being from her dream had said...

_T-Terminus? Please, explain this. Tell me you exist, and that I am not simply going mad. Please._

"I am here, dear one," she jumped at the smooth female voice, which seemed to come from directly behind her ear. Of course, when she turned, she was alone in the room. There was a small snort, "'twould be necessary to turn in the fifth, not the third, to see me as I am now, Twilight."

_Oh dear, oh dear... how can I hide this from Spike? Quickly! The books!_

Tomes flew from the shelves as Twilight searched for that one copy of 'Greybeard's Capturing the Illusive, volume one' like a mare possessed.

"Hey Twilight, you all right up there?" Spike yelled.

"Yes, I'm fine, just trying to find a book! I'll be down for breakfast in a moment, okay?"

_P... P... Personal Illusions, here we are... Sun and moon! These are harder than I thought they'd be! Durations... three days for average unicorn..._

She felt a soft touch at the base of her horn.

"Worry not, dear one. I will aid you, if you show me the way."

Twilight let out a long breath she hadn't realised she was holding, and began to concentrate on a mental image of her original mane. A harsh whine filled the upper floor of the library, sparks of magic leaping off her horn to ground themselves in the floorboards. She could sense a palpable secondary presence settle over her back, and almost lost control of the magic then, but something staid her horn. It was as if an outsider was guiding her movements, keeping the image of her mane fixed in her head. It came as a relief when the spell finally settled over her, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself looking at her original fringe.

"Yes! It worked!" She reached up a hoof to prod her mane, but hurriedly retracted it when she felt one of the hair tendrils snap out and attach itself to her. _Huh... so it's not a tactile illusion, then. Well, here's to hoping nobody touches my mane in the next three days! _She smiled awkwardly, trying to feel enthusiastic. She sighed, hanging her head. _This isn't going to work, is it?_

"Twi, pancakes are ready!" Spike's voice filtered up through the floorboards, and Twilight felt a sudden urge to smack her head against a bookshelf. Of course the world wouldn't wait for her. This would just have to do. _Here I come, Spike, ready or not..._

She plodded down the library stairs, heading for the kitchen. The aroma of fresh pancakes made her stomach grumble loudly. _Just play it cool, Twilight. He won't notice your mane is alive if you don't get close to him. Waltz in there like you own those pancakes._

"I, too, would echo that sentiment, dear one. If he is the creature you believe him to be, he will understand, hair or no," Terminus whispered from beside her ear. Spike looked up as she entered the kitchen, his eyes widening for a moment, before he wordlessly passed her a plate.

"Thanks Spike, oh, daisies too? You have been busy," She smiled as she accepted the syrup and daisy pancakes, but Spike avoided her eyes.

"Um... yeah. Say, what were you looking for up there? I heard some pretty strange noises,"

"Oh, I was looking f-for a book, for my essay. Why, don't tell me you were actually worried for me," she raised an eyebrow teasingly at her assistant.

"Of course not, ew. Who'd worry about you anyway?" Spike returned grumpily, scowling, but the effect was ruined by his pink cheeks.

"Fibber," Twilight deadpanned.

"Fine, ok! Yes, I was worried. You go up into your room for days on end, writing those papers about Celestia-knows-what in the Everfree, going on those little study expeditions with Fluttershy... and now you come down looking like this! So yes..." Spike huffed, finally running out of breath, glaring at her. A chill ran down Twilight's spine. 'Like this'? She'd changed her mane, right? The illusion was still in place, she could feel it.

"Like this? Spike, what are you talking about, I look _fine_!"

He winced at her volume, then simply said, "Twilight, why are your eyes glowing?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Promises, Confessions

Twilight blinked. Her mouth dropped open a little, as her mind raced. There was a moment where she just sat completely still, until a pancake slipped off of her fork with a soft 'plop'. It was enough to break Twilight from her self-imposed coma, and she practically levitated her way to the bathroom. Sure enough, her purple eyes were somehow lit from within; a faint glow that made them glitter disconcertingly, and turned her irises a luminous magenta. She felt her tail spread itself out, creeping over the sink and the wall behind her like ivy, but couldn't muster the will to reign it in.

"Twi? W-what's going on?" Spike's voice was soft, from the other side of the bathroom door.

She narrowed her eyes. Things were not going to plan. How to explain things to Spike? She obviously couldn't tell him that she'd inadvertently made a deal with some... thing from beyond. He'd... _He'd freak. Run to the princesses... and then what? Exorcism? Experimentation? No, they wouldn't... but they'd never trust me again. Celestia, I'm sorry._

"I... I made a mistake last night, Spike." _Not technically a lie._

"A mistake? Is that really how you feel of our union, dear one?" The voice of Terminus was vaguely reproachful, and Twilight felt a soft ache settle in her chest.

_No! … yes. Maybe. I don't know, all right? This morning has been crazy! Think, Twilight... how can I do this without lying to him?_

"Mistake? What kind of mistake? Surely you can tell me..." Spike said, sniffling quietly.

"A magical one. I'm going to be stuck like this for a while, until I can sort things out, okay Spike?"

Twilight said, trying to keep her voice even and calm. At any moment it seemed as if her hair would fizz up, and she'd just explode. "Look... do you want to come in?" she continued gently. Spike peeked around the door, twitching when he met her shining gaze then hurriedly breaking eye contact.

"Like this? You mean all glowy and stuff?" he muttered.

"Um kind of. There's a bit more to it, though," Twilight fidgeted nervously.

"Are you sure this is wise, Twilight?" Terminus' voice caressed her ear, and she smelt a faint scent of honeysuckle flowers. Spike didn't respond, the whisper apparently inaudible to him.

_Only one way to find out. _She took a deep breath, and cut the threads of magic maintaining the illusion. Her mane and tail shimmered, the purple seeming to evaporate, leaving behind long dark strands of squirming shadow. Spike froze, his eyes widening comically, mouth half open. She grinned back awkwardly, waiting for the other horseshoe to drop.

"Y-y-your mane! Tw-Twilight, what'd you do to it!?"

Twilight swallowed, quivering a little. "I may have made a slight miscalculation..."

"Slight!" Spike shook his head, staring at the mane in wonder. It formed swirling coils behind her head with an air of predatory menace. "So what happens now?"

"This never happened. You never saw this. We make do, until I can fix this, okay?"

"S-sure. If you think it's best, Twilight," Twilight nodded, walking out of the bathroom, heading back up to her room. The paper sat unfinished on the desk. _How could I forget about my research document!? … Oh, right. That. No time like the present, though!_

As Twilight began to scribble away at the paper, she thought about the princess's response to her paper. Well, fantasized. _Twilight! My faithful student! Your writing is revolutionary! This expose on timber wolves is just what we were looking for from you! Here, we have this congratulatory sack of bits for next year's funding. In any case... Twilight, would you consider dinner with me tonight? _Twilight broke off the thought, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks. And her quill tip, at the same time. _Where in Equestria did that come from?_

"Ah... you think of a goddess... like this?" Terminus' voice was halting, confused, sounding almost angry.

_Goddess? No no no... Celestia is our princess, not a god! We shouldn't worship her, nor Luna, it's unfair to put them on a pedestal like that! She's as much a pony as I am!_

"As pony as you are? Yes, perhaps..." Terminus trailed off, as if in thought. Twilight noticed with profound embarrassment that her new mane was making a _very _suggestive movement with her inkpot, and hurriedly yanked the offending tendril back. "Even so... the immortality would be something of a problem."

Twilight looked away, her eyes glazing over sadly. _Don't remind me. I just... I've admired her for a long time. She's done so much for ponykind, down the centuries, and she took me as her pupil. I had the occasional dream, growing up, but never anything like that. Not... fantasies._

"Ah. In that case, I suspect it may be the result of the merge. Temporary mental fluctuations, which will pass as we become more... harmonious."

_Changes in mental state?! What next, I'm going to turn into a stallion? All my friends inexplicably fall in love with me? I start needing to drink blood to live? What else haven't you been telling me, Terminus?_

"There will be some temporary mental fluctuations, such as mood swings, but as I said, those will pass. I will require... sustenance, some point in the near future, via a certain ritual. No, nothing that will hurt anypony. You will also have, among other things, a vastly extended lifespan. Does that answer your questions, dear one?"

_For now. Lifespan... wait. I'm going to live much longer than a normal pony? But... my friends... _An image of her standing alone before a grave marked 'Fluttershy' sprang unbidden into her mind. _I'm going to live to see... that? _Tears welled and spilled softly down her cheeks as images of her burying her friends, one by one, cycled past her.

Pinkie Pie, her tomb adorned with confetti and streamers, all of which slowly disappeared in her vision. The fairytale mare from the gingerbread house, her magic could not defeat old age in the end.

Rainbow Dash... a regal statue of the mare herself, bedecked in royal regalia, was unveiled as the Wonderbolts flew overhead. Soarin', his face wrinkled and pitted, saluted the statue tearfully, his costume donned for the last time.

Rarity, a graceful burial in Canterlot, a white marble plinth carved with three diamonds amongst a small garden of wild flowers. Generous, even in death, she gave this beauty freely to those present.

And lastly, Applejack, a simple headstone on her family's land, bearing her cutie mark, next to all those Apples who had come before her. Applebloom, her mane greying, cried on Twilight's youthful shoulder as she lay down a flower for her sister.

The images moved on to others in her life. The Cakes. Applebloom. The idea that she might live to see Spike's death had never even entered her mind, and somehow that just made the idea hurt all the more. She was still weeping quietly when Spike crept up the stairs to offer her lunch.

It came as a shock when Twilight latched onto him, sobbing, pulling him into a tight hug. "Spike, I know I've not been treating you properly recently... I'm so sorry. I don't know what I'd do without your help..."

"Um. Twi. You're... sorta... crushing me..." Spike said, flailing uncomfortably as her hair coiled itself around his arms. She quickly let go, sniffling a little. "Phew, not that I don't appreciate the apology, but what brought that on?" He massaged his neck a little.

"I just- I was thinking, while writing the essay, and I realised I'd been neglecting you recently," She said, glittering eyes wide and tearful.

"Right. Well, apology accepted, I guess." Spike scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Do you want some lunch? Oh, and Rainbow stopped by. She said something about a scheduled downpour for tomorrow, then zoomed off to Celestia knows where."

"Bu-but the expedition! The Everfree!" Twilight pouted, eyes still red and puffy. _I'll have to reschedule with Fluttershy... well, I can't blame Dash, she came by to tell me especially. Really nice of her, actually. I'll have to thank her while I'm out... Dash._ The statue flashed before her eyes once more. _No. _She could see Dash's laughing face in her mind, and she narrowed her eyes, her mind made up. _I'll find a way. If I can live to see three hundred years, so can she. So can they all. Death is but an obstacle for the unprepared. If Starswirl the Bearded can a way for fifteen unicorns to move the sun, then I promise I can give my friends the longest, happiest lives they could ever wish for! _Still sniffing a little, she crossed her heart with one hoof. There was an tingling sensation in her breast, which quickly passed.

"Twilight? You in there?" Spike waved a hand in front of her face.

"Huh?" She looked up at Spike, her glittering eyes seeming to blaze with determination.

"U-um... Lunch?" He said, obviously taken aback.

"Sure."

Her answering smile was joyful and unguarded.

Celestia's sun dipped low behind the trees, painting the evening sky a brilliant pink. The research paper had taken longer than Twilight had intended, much to her dismay. It was under this light that Twilight Sparkle trotted up the path to Fluttershy's cottage, a personal illusion draped over her back. _I feel like I'm lying to her, Terminus... it's not right. Nobody should lie to Fluttershy, she's too sweet. _An image of the yellow pegasus, her eyes slowly filling with tears, made Twilight almost reconsider coming here. _No. I can't just hide myself away, pretend I don't exist... besides, that would just hurt 'Shy more._

"Yes dear one. Hard as it might seem, the alternative is worse, as well, you know," the voice answered from behind her ear.

_Ah! T-terminus! You're... back. Where did you go?_

"I was... inactive, for a time. To give you time to consider your situation, and to conserve my energy."

_Right. Speaking of which, you mentioned a, and I quote, 'certain ritual', to provide 'sustenance' for you. _Twilight reached up a reluctant hoof to knock on the door of the small cottage.

"Yes, that is so. I will keep you informed, but I suspect it will be required no later than next week," There was a small movement in the curtains, and Twilight caught a glimpse of the yellow mare peeking out. The door opened a moment later, Fluttershy nervously peering at her.

"Oh... um. Hello Twilight. Please, come in." she said, the words barely audible.

Fluttershy's house was cluttered with ornaments and obscura, an entire shed manticore tail resting against one wall, a relic of a previous expedition. Twilight, however, immediately noticed an odd scraping noise, like tree bark on glass, if she had to put her hoof on it.

"Twilight, I-I caught something you might want to see. It's in the living room. Would you care for some tea?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded, moving into the living area. It was even more cluttered than the previous, various charts lining the walls, and exotic animal products sat on most surfaces. All collected without harming the creature, if possible, although there were times when the denizens of the Everfree became too aggressive to deal with peacefully. _That time with the snarbolax... so lucky that Fluttershy had a bell on her, or we'd have been eaten alive. _Twilight shuddered at the thought of the enormous, catlike predator. Lurkers in the dark, almost impossible to fight in shadow, but vulnerable to loud or oddly pitched sounds.

"Would no longer be a threat to us, dear one," Terminus cut in, impinging on the mental image, soothing her agitation. Twilight shook her head, and once more looked around for the source of the noise. Sat on Fluttershy's table, was a glass terrarium. A puppy sized creature that resembled a stylised wolf made of green tree bark desperately scrabbled at the glass, trying to break free. _A... timberwolf sapling? _She reached out a hoof to touch the glass, but a prickling sensation of dread filled her, and she quickly retracted it. _Sun and moon!_ _Any idea what that was?_

"It is the servant of another power. Its bond to its master is inimical to our being, unless you assert your own influence upon it."

_Servant of another... The Everfree? I have read up on the subject, Terminus. That forest has always been... unnaturally wild. Unharmonious, one might say._

"Is that so... Interesting. Thank you for the information, dear one," Terminus sounded distracted, thoughtful.

"Tea is ready," Fluttershy said, walking in with a tray upon her back. "I see you found my little guest," she tittered, smiling at the sapling as it chewed at the glass.

"It's adorable," Twilight deadpanned, the wolf being anything but. "So where did you catch it? You'd have to have gone in fairly deep to even find a juvenile!"

Fluttershy jumped a little, spilling tea onto the table, then hurriedly set down the teapot. "Um... you see... I found it near my house."

"What?! Fluttershy, why didn't you tell me sooner? If the timberwolves are leaving the Everfree..." Twilight's eyes widened. She could feel her mane coil and expand, reaching out for something to grasp. "I have to tell the princesses."

"Are you certain bringing _them_ into this is wise? That illusion on your back will not fool them for an instant," Terminus whispered.

_Um... Ohdear ohdear ohdear..._

Fluttershy watched, mystified, as the purple mare began to hyperventilate, objects around her seeming to float midair. "T-Twilight?"

"The expedition tomorrow... cancelled. Thunderstorm scheduled. I have to go now... yup. Bye Fluttershy," Twilight said in a strained tone, then promptly exploded into purple sparks.

~Meanwhile, in Canterlot~

_Evening court always was the most tiresome session_, Celestia lamented, as she listened to Lord Midnight's third reiteration of his daughter's sleeptrotting problem. She had got what she needed with the first telling, but it would be quite rude to interrupt the stallion's tale, even if it did _ramble so._

_Just keep smiling, nod a little every so often, he'll stop eventually..._

Her patience, which could perhaps be described as glacial, had been steadily stretched to the breaking point between the southern grain shortages, meetings with the griffon chiefs, and the steadily increasing number of court sessions. More petitioners, more situations to consider... _night court, too, assuming Luna... _Celestia stopped, realising Midnight had finally brought his case to a close.

"Your highness?"

"Oh, yes, my apologies Lord Midnight. It seems to me that your policy of curtailing your daughter's nightly wanderings merely serve to intensify them."

The second pony, a psychologist by the name of Brainwaves, broke in, "Please excuse my interruption, your highness, but that is exactly what I have told Lord Midnight, time and again! Her nightly sleeptrotting is a problem, one which may injure herself or others if it is not treated. What if she had attempted to trot down a flight of stairs?"

"Yes. Your point was well stated, mister Brainwaves, but I would caution you against speaking out of turn," Celestia gently admonished him, but smiling in his general direction. "Now, as to the case itself... Lord Midnight, you are to take your daughter to Canterlot general hospital within two weeks, where she is to be treated by a doctor _other_ than mister Brainwaves here. Brainwaves is to have no part in the treatment of the filly, unless doing so would be necessary to save her from life threatening injury. Now, next petitioner, please."

"That was the last case for this session, your highness," the royal secretary muttered to her, and Celestia mentally cheered. _A few hours off the throne will feel good. _Over the years, Celestia had come to sympathise greatly with Canterlot office workers. The throne which had once fit her so well had somehow metamorphosed into a rigid, uncomfortable, wood-and-marble abomination, covered with heavily concealed cushioning charms.

Once she had left the audience hall, Celestia allowed herself a moment to relax. Out of sight, she stretched, then slumped. _I feel old. _She snorted, the irony of an alicorn feeling her age was scant amusement... It had been a difficult few years, since Luna had returned, only to be defeated by the powers of the Elements. The moon goddess, brought low by ordinary ponies. A Celestia from three millenia ago would have laughed at the idea, but to this one, it merely filled her with sadness. A nagging pain in her stomach. _Luna, my sister... where did I go wrong? _Since her return, her sister had taken to lurking in her tower, taking neither food nor water, refusing to interact with the outside. _Except me._ Celestia sighed, walking the winding stairs up to Luna's redoubt. _Perhaps it would have been easier if she had turned me away, like the rest... _Her hooves shook as the air began to chill, and for a moment she begged for the earth to swallow her, to simply sink away into a moonlit gloom, rather than deal with the questions that plagued her.

_Why can't I help her? Why can't I fix this rift?_

The ghosts of the past hung thickly around her with every step, echoes of a time both sought to forget. _Nightmare Moon. _The name still evoked bitter anger in her, despite her attempts to cool the temper that had caused the problem to begin with. Celestia snorted derisively. _Problem. That would be the understatement of the millennium._

She knocked on the reinforced door to the tower, a portal of black varnished wood carved in the image of a crescent moon. "Luna?" she called softly. The door swung open of its own accord, revealing a dark room. The darkness was no obstacle to Celestia, but she frowned nonetheless. _Where will she be this time? The rafters? _Luna had displayed a certain tendency to roost since her return, like a pegasus without a foal. Celestia cast out her senses, the great beacon of her sister's life-force shining out from the roof of the tower. _Skygazing it is, then. _With that, she launched herself through the open window, ascending the sloping roof with measured ease.

"Hello, 'Tia," the cool voice of the moon princess called out. _That nickname again..._Celestia smiled softly at her sister, genuine happiness creeping through this time.

"Luna."

She landed on the roof, her wings flared, before moving to nuzzle her sister, who flinched away, before returning the motion half-heartedly. Seeing the pain in Luna's eyes, Celestia gently hugged her, trying to pour as much comfort as she could into the gesture. Again, Luna tensed, but eventually leaned against her. It brought with it a curious sense of rest, the warmth of being enveloped in the forelegs of a loving mother, tinged with an introspective melancholy. She smiled as Luna's aura spread over her like a blanket, and for a moment, both sisters were at peace. Pulling away, Celestia regarded her sister, who carefully ignored the gaze in favour of staring at the horizon. The silence stretched out, but finally, Luna spoke.

"Tis most strange... a thousand years hence, thou wouldst not have deigned to use thine wings to fly, sister,"

"True enough. But neither would you have sat on the castle roof, gazing at the sunset like a lovesick mare," Celestia nuzzled her sister again, to take the bite out of her words.

"We suppose so, 'Tia... but our subjects have no need for two rulers. They have thee, Celestia, and have come to depend upon thee. I shall raise the moon, but they shall have no love for one such as I."

Celestia's eyes narrowed at that. "Now look here! I will not sit here and listen to you badmouth my sister!"

"It saves them the trouble. Thou knowest we hear what they say about us. They think we will... relapse. Bring about a second age of darkness, and listen to the ice crystals sing once more... dost thou remember, 'Tia?"

Celestia felt a chill at that. _The touch of magma, the smell of scorched earth, the sun frozen in the sky... Equestria was different, then, before Ponykind... _"I remember," she whispered.

"Then thou knowest why we do this. We are free, safe... and they might continue their lives unburdened by our existence," Luna looked up at the night sky, stars beginning show through the clouds. They were silent for a few minutes, Luna watching the stars, while Celestia studied her sister with sad eyes. Then Luna spoke once more, a bitter smile stretching across her lips, "Besides, sister, we cannot return as we once were. Not after what we did... what we both did."

Celestia's jaw clenched as she fought to contain herself. _We could fix this, together... why, Luna? Why must you fight me?_ Luna's gaze hardened, as if she had read Celestia's mind.

"We cannot be reconciled so easily, 'Tia. Do not test us on this matter."

Celestia looked away from Luna's accusing gaze, feeling her eyes sting, tears flowing gently down her cheeks. Bitter regret mixed with a longing so fierce it became like a vortex, inexorably sucking her thoughts into a downward spiral. The gaze had, for the merest fraction of an instant, held the same glint she had seen a thousand years previous. A glimmering, like moonlight shining off of ice crystals beneath a starless night.

_Would you take us back to those times, sister mine? _She could taste brimstone, hear the grating cries of their children as they fought for dominance upon weather-scarred rock. A time when Elementals had walked the land. _Please, Luna... not after all that we have created together..._

It was a terrible thing to realise, an understanding that defied all that she knew as rational thought. The knowledge that she no longer held her sister's trust. After countless millennia together, it had come to this.

_To be separate, once more... why can't she see that she is all that matters to me!?_

"Please... Luna. It does not have to be this way. We can-" She reached out a shaking hoof to the blue alicorn. The night princess tossed her head, a mane of stars fluttering in the evening breeze.

"No. We cannot. Do not ask us to forgive thee... not yet." The harsh, commanding voice dropped to the broken whisper of a mare too far gone for hope, "Please, do not ask, we beg of thee, dear, sweet Celestia..."

Celestia recoiled, tears flowing openly, letting out a quiet sob. _Why can't I fix this? Why are my powers insufficient just this once? _The thought seemed as absurd, as _alien,_ as it had a thousand years ago. It had come down to a single, inescapable fact. She, Celestia, Princess of the Iron Sun, was inadequate. Around and around, for days, years, the problem had haunted her. _Luna has turned me away, and I cannot change that fact. Why can't I change that?_

The question expelled itself as a wail of pure anguish, echoing out across the spires of Canterlot. Neither was entirely sure who had screamed first, but when the pitiful sound finally ended, both alicorns found their throats raw. Celestia looked up, in the ringing silence, to meet Luna's steely gaze. It was then that the moon princess smiled. A pained, brittle thing that tore at Celestia's heart, but a smile nonetheless. And while her voice cracked slightly, there was some small humour to it.

"Thou hast changed much in my absence, 'Tia. Thou doth eat, drink, even sleep. It is curious, how alike in manner thou hast become to our creations."

"I took on students in your absence... I think, in many ways, they showed me what it was like, to act mortal, if only for a while. It is fun, to pretend every so often." Celestia let out a shuddering sigh, wiping a hoof across puffy, reddened eyes.

_And it is nice, sometimes, not to remember all that I should. _Whichever earth pony who had first discovered whiskey deserved a very nice memorial, if she could ever find their grave.

"Is that so? If one had approached us before... the fall, and told us that thou wouldst one day espouse the merits of mortal roleplay, we would have laughed in thy face," Luna chuckled bitterly. "It will not be enough, sister. What we did..."

_What we both did, Luna. I pray that we are able to find a way..._

Celestia pulled the smaller alicorn into a firm hug, and that was all it took for the dam to burst. Luna let out a choked sob, and snuggled into her sister's neck, weeping brokenly. "Shhhh... Lulu, I-I... I will be there for you," she murmured to Luna, gently stroking her mane with one hoof. _I will do what I can... how? How can I resolve this? Lulu... can the love of centuries become so easily undone?_

"T-Tia... w-w-we..."

"Hush, Lulu." Celestia smiled, cradling her sister to her. It was as if the clouds had finally parted, if only for an instant, light she had missed for centuries streaming down upon her. And this time, she found the tears were, perhaps, not something to be despised.

After a time, Celestia began to hum, rocking Luna gently. The song was one she had sung to her sister during her stay on the moon, a calm lament for her mistakes. Planting a kiss on the trembling alicorn's cheek, Celestia buried her face in that blue, fluffy nothingness. It was comfortable and warm, like resting upon a cloud that smelt of honeysuckle and stardust. _There is much I would do differently, now... Luna, I cannot ask that you forgive me my failings, merely that we continue to move forward. I will always love you, little sister, even though I may falter._

And so the two alicorns sat, together beneath the stars, until the time came for the sun to rise once more.


End file.
